Author: Maureen Helen

Birds at dusk in the ‘party park’

You come across the lake just beyond the avenue of oaks in the park near my home. My family calls this place the ‘party park’, although its official name is Subiaco Common. The party park is replete with memories of summer evenings when we lingered over shared picnic meals. We chatted as we watched the…… Continue reading Birds at dusk in the ‘party park’

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Shoes on the suburban train

I’m on my way into the city to buy a book and a pair of shoes, sitting on the train from the Subiaco station to Perth. It’s a short trip, a few stations on the suburban railway system known in Western Australia as Metronet. The station marks the end of my village-suburb where it’s likely,…… Continue reading Shoes on the suburban train

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The Season – a winter with Helen Garner

Today I’m admiring a new book, The Season, by Helen Garner. This is a beautifully-written non-fiction story about a grandmother and her relationship with her fifteen year old grandson through one junior Australian Football League season. At first, it takes some application to see how a book about this topic could be so rich in…… Continue reading The Season – a winter with Helen Garner

How to survive falling over

Falling over would never have struck me as a topic for a blog post. I’ve fallen a few times, but always pretend that it never happened. First let me say that falling is a verb. It is something we do. To fall is not a noun like so many health professionals would like us to…… Continue reading How to survive falling over

Frailty and age – can we overcome it?

Frailty, or weakness in health or body, is often linked with old age, as if they define each other. I wonder if it can be overcome by a change of mindset? Older people are diagnosed as being frail if they have a reduced grip strength, slower walking speed which can be self-reported or measured, and…… Continue reading Frailty and age – can we overcome it?

Delights – how to capture fleeting moments

Experiencing delights has not been among my priorities recently because I haven’t been well. Thank goodness, life changes regularly. Among my new plans, I’ve enrolled in the next Writing in the Dark twelve-week intensive course entitled ‘For the joy and sorrow’. It starts on 8 January, 2025. How could I resist when Jeannine Ouelette, the…… Continue reading Delights – how to capture fleeting moments

Untangling knots – learned from a dog

Untangling knots can be as enjoyable as doing a jigsaw puzzle. I’d forgotten the therapeutic value of unscrambling a ball of wool until recently. The newly acquired puppy, Maggie, delighted in taking wool from my knitting basket, left casually where I’d always left it. She chewed the paper around a new ball until it fell…… Continue reading Untangling knots – learned from a dog

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Birthday hopes of an old woman

Birthday hopes! As I celebrate the day I was born, 4 November, 1937, I also recognise with a sense of awe that I’m officially an old, old woman. But it doesn’t mean that I no longer have plans, hopes and aspirations for the future. Everyone needs an idea about what the next part of their…… Continue reading Birthday hopes of an old woman